The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-10-06
TRUE TO HER LOVE.

TRUE TO HER LOVE.
When Rodney Craig came home
from the army with an honorable
record and an empty sleeve, people
wondered if Ruth Gerrish would marry
him.
A man with one arm gone, and that
his right one, was only part of a man,
they argued, and Ruth was a girl who
had had offers enough to make her the
envy of less fortunate girls, or at least
girls who considered it good fortune
to have offers of marriage, and she
had refused them all till Rodney Craig
came.
She accepted the proposal he made,
because she loved him. But when he
had asked her in marriage he had been
a man with two strong arms. Now he
had come home with but one, and this
set some persons to wondering what
she would do.
These persons were those who did
not know Ruth very well. Those who
knew her best never had any doubt
about the course she would pursue.
One day, shortly after his return,
Rodney Craig came to her, and as he
stood before her with his empty
sleeve folded across his breast, he said:
"When I won your promise to be my
wife, was strong two-armed man.
! felt equal to any task in life for your
sake, and because of my love. Now
everything is changed. / am what
men call wreck, for the good right
arm depended on is now gone. l
have no right, under the circum-
stances. to hold you to the promise you
gave me then. l give back to you that
promise, Ruth. if you will take it."
She came and stood by his side and
looked up gravely into his face.
"You loved me, Rodney, when you
asked me to be your wife?"
"God knows didr he answered.
'And you love me now?"
He did not answer this question in
words. The look in his ewes was too
eloquent to make speech necessary.
''Then why should l take back my
promise?" she asked.
Her face was as eloquent now as his
had been moment ago. His hand
was lying on the table at her side. She
put her hand in it in a way that said
many things, while her eyes were
bright with steadfast love and trust,
whose expression made her face so
fair that Rodney thought of some of
Madonnas as she looked up
at him.
''But have you thought of the
changer" he asked; ''this question is
one that must be well thought over,
Ruth. With my two arms could have.
made your life one above all want.
even one of luxury, perhaps, after a
while But with the arm l depended
on most gone, why, you see how differ
ent it is, Ruth"
II have thought of it all, Rodney"
she answered softly; II have thought
how much might help you with my
two willing hands. When | gave my
promise. it was for all time, happen
what might, and / shall keep it, un-
less" with a smile dimpling the face
that had never seemed so fair to
Rodney as at that moment, ''unless
you have some better argument to
offer"
''You know why have said what /
have" he answered; II want you be-
cause 1 love you, and without you |
shall be lonely sorrowful man all the
days of my life. But l felt that had
no right to ask you to make such
sacrifice for me-"
81 make no sacrifice" she said
simply; because 1 love YOU" (Was
ment put in fewer wordsO 1--WE need
not mention this. matter again. told
you I would be your wife. God willing,
and I see no reason why should not
be if you want me. 1 would marry
you if there was only enough left of you
to held your heart"
After that there was no more said
about breaking the engagement. But
he would not consent to a marriage
until he had secured some employ
ment.
He had applied for a government
but it began to seem as if it
might be a modern case of Jarndyce
VS.. Jarndyce. Once in while he got
a letter. saying that it was quite pro-
bable he would secure the position as
soon as the proper action could be
taken; the matter had been referred to
this or that department., and would be
reported on as soon as possible, or it
had been turned over to this or that
official, who would give it prompt at
tention, etc.
So the weeks heightened into months,
and he waited and hoped, and heard
definite, and the time when he
would be in position to warrant him
in marrying Ruth seemed as far off as
ever.
She waited because he wanted to,
but she would have married him any
day, if he had been willing. Work for
those we love is always pleasant, and
she would have been glad to prove to
him how much she could do with love
as an incentive to action.
One day letter came to Ruth from
her Aunt Martha.
Miss Fielding lived in little village
up among the Berkshire hills. All
that Ruth could remember about her
was that she made her think of the
hills to be seen from the windows of
the old farmhouse where her lonely
life was passed because she seemed
as steadfast and Interchangeable as they
did.
There had been some family trouble;
Just what, Ruth never knew. But
Aunt Martha, who had something of
the old Puritan stubbornness of her
in her veins, backed up by
the Fielding pride. had very little to
do with any of her relatives; therefore
it was not at all to be wondered at
that Ruth and her mother were some
what surprised when aunt Martha's
letter came.
Il want you to come and make me
a visit" she wrote. "Come and stay
a month, if you can stand it as long as
that with me. | am lonely old
woman. in lonely old house, and l
presume you will get homesick before
YOU have been here two days; but if you
do, why you can take the first train for
home, you know. There will be no
compulsion about your staying. Twill
try to make it pleasant for you, but l
presume have forgotten how to do it.
shall expect you to come if you can
not stay, so do not disappoint me.
Spend no time in getting ready We
don't care much about what you call
style here, and fine clothes would be
wasted" -